In a conventional managed information system, such as a storage area network (SAN) operable to coordinate access to mass storage devices by a set of users, the network (SAN) interconnects a plurality of storage device nodes and associated interconnection nodes. The storage area network includes a variety of nodes for providing mass storage retrieval services to users, such as storage devices (e.g. disc drive arrays), connectivity devices (e.g. switches and routers), and conventional host computers for executing user applications and software components called agents for monitoring and controlling the nodes in the storage area network. The resultant infrastructure, therefore, for monitoring and controlling the storage area network, defines a complex array of nodes and interconnections.
Each of the nodes in the conventional SAN is a manageable entity controllable by a management application. The conventional storage area network generally has many manageable entities of various types. Conventional storage area networks typically allocate a particular agent to one or more manageable entities based on matching, or corresponding types. Therefore, the system may deploy many agents to correspond to the number and types of manageable entities in the storage area network. In a particular configuration, the conventional nodes include manageable entities responsive to the SAN management application and include storage entities, connectivity entities, and database entities. The result is a complex set of interrelations between the agents and the corresponding manageable entities.
Conventional agents typically execute on a host computer system (host) adapted to support one or more agents. Further, the hosts themselves are manageable entities responsive to the management application. Since there may be multiple hosts in a managed information environment, the management application may display and/or reference multiple hosts simultaneously. Accordingly, the hosts each employ a host name for mnemonically facilitating the identity and operative responsibility of the host. The management application is responsible for establishing and maintaining responsiveness of the various manageable entities to the host computer systems (hosts) which manage the manageable entities.